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Luis Suarez
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (born 24 January 1987) is an Uruguayan international footballer who currently plays as a forward for Liverpool and the Uruguayan national team. He is known for his exceptional dribbling skills and his knack for scoring goals at tight angles. Liverpool career Suárez signed for Liverpool on the January transfer deadline day 2010-11 for £22,800,000. Suárez made his debut for Liverpool on 2 February in the 2-0 win over Stoke City scoring the latter of the two goals. His first start for Liverpool came in the 1-1 tie against Wigan on 12 February 2010. He scored his second goal against Sunderland with one of his signature tight angle shots. After a set up from Dirk Kuyt he scored his third goal against Newcastle United. He scored his fourth and final goal of his debut season with Liverpool against Fulham in a 5-2 win. Along with four goals in 13 appearances in the 2010-11 season, Suárez also booked 5 assists. Suárez scored his first goal on the opening day of the 2011-12 season against Sunderland after 12 minutes. He also missed a penalty in the same game. He managed to continue in the same vein, scoring in the next match against Arsenal on 20 August 2011 having come on as a substitute. The Uruguayan striker also played a part in the opening goal of the game, as he pressurised young Arsenal centre back Ignasi Miquel into hitting the ball against teammate Aaron Ramsey, which deflected into the goal. Suarez scored his 10th and 11th goals for Liverpool on 26 October 2011, in a League Cup match away to Stoke City. This was the first match in which Suarez had scored more than once in a Liverpool shirt. His first goal was particularly memorable, as he nutmegged Stoke defender Ryan Shotton before expertly curling the ball into the corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area. Suarez scored once more for Liverpool in 2011, which came as the only goal in a home league game against QPR on 10 December. Suarez was given a one match suspension by the FA for showing his middle finger to Fulham fans in Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to the Cottagers on 5 December, causing him to miss the game against Newcastle on 30 December. The Fulham fans had been taunting Suarez about the investigation being undertaken against him regarding accusations he had racially abused Patrice Evra (see below), to which Suarez retaliated. Suarez was then suspended for a further eight games, beginning with the league match away to Manchester City on 3 January 2012, for the incident with Evra. Suarez made his comeback on 6 February 2012, coming on as a second half substitute in a 0-0 home draw against Tottenham. He then started Liverpool's next match, away to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Suarez caused controversy by refusing to shake the hand of Patrice Evra before kick-off, and he was heckled throughout by the United faithful. Suarez scored from close range with 10 minutes to go, however it was only to be a consolation as Liverpool lost 2-1. Suarez' next two goals came in the FA Cup- first, on 19 February 2012 against Brighton, and then on 18 March 2012 in the quarter-final tie against Stoke. Suarez opened the scoring in that game with an excellent long-range drive after a neat one-two with Maxi Rodriguez. Liverpool went on to win the game 2-1, sealing a second Wembley appearance of the season, following the club's success in the League Cup. In the semi-final on 14 April, Liverpool prevailed 2-1 against rivals Everton. Suarez scored Liverpool's equalising goal, capitalising on a poor backpass to slot in when one-on-one with the Everton 'keeper. On 28 April 2012, Suarez scored his first hattrick for Liverpool, in a League game away to Norwich. All three of his goals were of a high standard, however his third was a sublime chip from over 40 yards which caught the Norwich 'keeper off his line. The goal was quickly touted by some as being the Premier League's goal of the season. Suarez' next game was the 2012 FA Cup Final, which was his 50th appearance for the club. Unfortunately it was not to be an occassion to remember for Suarez, as the side went down 2-1 to Chelsea. In the summer of 2012, there were reports that Italian giants Juventus were preparing a lucrative offer for Suarez, however on 7 August 2012, Suarez signed a new contract with Liverpool, putting the rumours to bed. The news was received warmly by the Liverpool fans who have installed Suarez as a huge fan-favourite. Suarez netted his first goal of the 2012-13 season with a well-executed free-kick in a 2-2 draw vs Manchester City. On 29 September 2012, on his 50th League appearance for the club, Suarez netted a hat trick which, like his first Liverpool treble, came at Carrow Road against Norwich. He also claimed an assist as he set up Nuri Sahin's first League goal for Liverpool. On 28 October 2012, in the Merseyside Derby match away to Everton, Suarez helped Liverpool take the lead when his shot deflected off Leighton Baines for an own goal. Having been criticised midweek by Everton manager David Moyes for perceived diving, Suarez celebrated by running over to Moyes and simulating a dive. Suarez then put Liverpool 2-0 up and in the last minute of the game- with the score now tied at 2-2, Suarez scored what looked like the winner, only for the linesman to incorrectly call offside. On 4 November 2012, Suarez scored a well-acclaimed goal in a home game against Newcastle. With Liverpool trailing 1-0, Jose Enrique sent a long ball over to Suarez from his left back position. Suarez, under pressure from Newcastle centre back Fabricio Collocini, brought the ball down cleanly with his shoulder, took the ball around Newcastle 'keeper Tim Krul and slotted into the empty net. He followed up this goal with a strike against Chelsea in Liverpool's next game, and a brace against Wigan a week later to become the first Liverpool player since Dirk Kuyt in the spring of 2011 to score in four consecutive games. Suarez then experienced a small goal drought, but netted again on 22 December 2012 with Liverpool's fourth goal in a 4-0 victory over Fulham at Anfield. The goal was Suarez' 11th of the Premier League season, and saw him equal his goal tally for the entire 2011-12 season. He then surpassed this mark with a brace away to QPR in a 3-0 win on 30 December 2012. Suarez then made it two doubles in two games when he scored two of Liverpool's goals in the 3-0 victory over Sunderland on 2 January 2013. He also provided an impressive lobbed assist that put Raheem Sterling through on goal to open the scoring. On 6 January 2013, Suarez scored a controversial goal in Liverpool's FA Cup tie away to non-League Mansfield. After initially taking a shot on goal that the goalkeeper saved, Suarez knocked the rebound down with his hand before slotting into the net. The goal put Liverpool 2-0 up with the Reds ultimately prevailing 2-1. Brendan Rodgers defended the Uruguayan, stating the handball was 'accidental.' On 27 January 2013, Suarez was selected as Liverpool captain for the first time for the FA Cup 4th round tie away to League One side Oldham. Unfortunately, Liverpool would suffer a shock 3-2 defeat, although Suarez did score Liverpool's first goal and had a second ruled out for offside. Liverpool were then knocked out of the Europa League on 21 February 2013 by Zenit St. Petersburg, though Suarez almost dragged Liverpool to an unlikely victory. With Liverpool trailing 2-0 from the first leg, Liverpool welcomed Zenit to Anfield however they conceded a goal early. Now needing four goals to progress, Liverpool hit three- two of which came from well-executed Suarez free kicks. However the fourth did not arrive and Liverpool crashed out on away goals. On 2 March 2013, Suarez netted a hat trick in Liverpool's away League match against Wigan Athletic. Two of his goals came after he was played through on goal, first by Philippe Coutinho, then by Glen Johnson. These came either side of a free kick, which went in via a combination of the post and Wigan 'keeper Ali Al-Habsi. Liverpool won the match 4-0. Suarez netted his 50th goal in a Liverpool shirt in the Reds' next match, at home to Tottenham on 10 March 2013. The goal came in the 22nd minute as he threaded the ball through the legs of Hugo Lloris from a tight angle after good build up play from Philippe Coutinho and Jose Enrique. At 2-2, Suarez won Liverpool a penalty that Steven Gerrard converted, with Liverpool winning the match 3-2. Following this match, Suarez failed to find the net again until 21 April 2013, in a home 2-2 tie against Chelsea. Suarez had first set up Liverpool's equalising goal when 1-0 down by clipping a cross in to Daniel Sturridge with the outside of his boot, before netting Liverpool's second equaliser in the last minute with a close range header. This made Suarez the first player to score 30 goals in a season for Liverpool since Fernando Torres achieved the feat in the 2007-08 season. Suarez had however conceded the penalty from which Chelsea went 2-1 up, after handling in the area. Suarez also became embroiled in controversy as during the second half, he appeared to bite the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic when the two were involved in a scuffle in the box. The incident (see below) caused a media furore, and Suarez was hit with a 10 match ban from the FA, thus putting an end to Suarez's 2012-13 season. Suarez's season did end on a positive note however as the fans voted him the Standard Chartered Player of the Season. Over the summer, Suarez travelled to Brazil to take part in the Confederations Cup with Uruguay. Whilst there, he gave a series of interviews in which he confirmed his wish to leave Liverpool. He initially cited the impact of the media in England, making his and his family's lives uncomfortable, and suggested he would be keen on a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, who were credited with an interest in the Uruguay striker. However Real Madrid failed to follow up their interest with a bid, and eventually Premier League rivals Arsenal stepped in. On 8 July 2013, they reportedly made a bid worth £35,000,000, which Liverpool instantly rejected. Suarez, still openly discussing his future whilst in South America, then began to talk of his wish to move to a Champions League club, and dropped his complaints about the English media, whilst stating that he was pleased with Arsenal's interest in him. On 24 July 2013, Arsenal reportedly bid £40,000,001 for Suarez. The bid was specifically designed to trigger a clause in Suarez's contract, which requires the club to inform Suarez of offers in excess of £40,000,000 and requires the club to consider such offers. The bid caused something of a stir as the specificity of the bid suggested they had been informed of the details of Suarez's contract clause, which ordinarily should remain confidential. There were also reports that Liverpool and Suarez differed in their interpretation of the clause, with Suarez believing it was a full release clause. Regardless, Liverpool instantly rejected the offer and principal owner John Henry tweeted "What do you think they're smoking over there at Emirates?" Brendan Rodgers and managing director Ian Ayre both spoke in the days that followed that they would not sell Suarez lightly, and intimated that Arsenal would need to offer in excess of £50,000,000 to land their man. Rodgers discussed how much of a mistake he felt it would be for Suarez to turn his back on Liverpool and join one of their direct rivals in the Premier League, who he also felt were no bigger as a club than the Reds, and cited the unwavering support given to him by Liverpool fans throughout his suspensions, suggesting Suarez owed the fans a debt. Liverpool fans reacted angrily to news that Suarez was keen on the move to Arsenal, not least because Suarez seemingly had lied about the impact of the media on his wish to leave Anfield, but with Arsenal finishing fourth in the League during the 2012-13 season, they were perceived as the club Liverpool needed to aim to catch up to and overtake in order for the club to reclaim their place in Europe's elite club competition. On 5 August 2013, Suarez's huge impact at Liverpool in his relatively short career earned him a fifth-placed spot on the fan-voted 100 Players Who Shook The Kop list, ahead of such legendary players as Kevin Keegan, Jamie Carragher, Billy Liddell and John Barnes. However just a day later, Suarez garnered a furious backlash from the fans after he gave interviews to The Telegraph and The Guardian, affirming his wish to leave Liverpool and join Arsenal. Suarez accused the club of reneging on an agreement they made with him upon signing his new contract in the summer of 2012 that guaranteed he would be allowed to leave if a Champions League club bid in excess of £40,000,000 for him if Liverpool failed to qualify for the competition. He stated that he would be prepared to hand in a transfer request and pursue legal proceedings against Liverpool if they continued to block his move to Arsenal, whilst also refuting all claims that he was being disloyal to the Anfield club regardless of their self-harming support for him during the Patrice Evra and Branislav Ivanovic incidents. The next day however, PFA chairman Gordon Taylor confirmed that Liverpool's interpretation of Suarez's contract clause was correct. Liverpool and manager Brendan Rodgers reacted furiously to Suarez's interviews. He was ordered by the club to train alone- although this was reportedly due to half-hearted performances in training and 2013-14 pre-season matches. Rodgers stated “There were no promises made - categorically none - and no promises broken,” in response to Suarez's accusations that he was given the manager's word that he could leave for a Champions League club, and Rodgers criticised Suarez's actions as failing to live up to the values of the club. John Henry then sought to echo Rodgers' sentiments and quash all possibility of Suarez leaving, telling the press that Liverpool would now not entertain offers for Suarez from anyone, and described the idea of selling Suarez to Arsenal as 'ludicrous.' Patrice Evra incident See: Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra Incident On 21 October 2011, during Liverpool's 1-1 home draw with Manchester United, United left back Patrice Evra made a complaint that Luis Suarez had directed racially abusive language towards him. Suarez maintained his innocence, however on 20 December 2011, Suarez was found guilty of the charges and suspended for eight matches- which came into effect from 3 January 2012 after Liverpool decided against an appeal. There has been considerable fallout from the incident, most notably coming on 11 February 2012 in Suarez' second game back since his suspension. This game was away to Manchester United and Suarez caused a major controversy by refusing to shake Evra's hand before kick-off. There has been considerable damage done to the reputation of Suarez, manager Kenny Dalglish- who has been criticised for his unwaivering support of Suarez, and Liverpool Football Club as a whole. But Suarez insisted he will forget about the incident stating "I will forget, we will move on and I just want to concentrate on my football with Liverpool." Branislav Ivanovic incident See: Luis Suarez-Branislav Ivanovic Incident On 21 April 2013, Suarez bit the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic whilst Liverpool were hosting Chelsea at Anfield in the Premier League. The incident was missed by the referee, however Ivanovic had gestured to the officials during the match that he had been bitten and TV cameras captured the incident. On 24 April 2013, a three man independent panel assembled by the FA chose to impose a 10-match ban on Suarez. Suarez opted to accept the ban and not appeal the decision. Playing style Suarez is a creative forward who can both score and assist regularly. He has a penchant for dribbling and has been known to beat three or four opponents in the opposition box before shooting or setting up a teammate. He has a remarkable work ethic, persistently hounding his opponents for the duration of matches, and works across the entire forward line to involve himself in the play. He has even demonstrated a good tackling ability, often winning the ball back immediately after losing it himself. He has been compared to Kop Legend Kevin Keegan by various sources. He has also been compared to another Reds icon- Kenny Dalglish by numerous pundits, including former Liverpool star Mark Lawrenson, who stated Suarez "might just be the closest" any Liverpool player has come to matching the skill of the iconic number 7. Honours Liverpool *League Cup: 1 (2012) Individual *Standard Chartered Player of the Season: 1 (2012-13) *Standard Chartered Player of the Month: 10 (March 2011, May 2011, August 2011, September 2011, October 2011, April 2012, September 2012, October 2012, December 2012, February 2013) *5th in 100 Players Who Shook The Kop (2013) Stats External links * *Luis Suarez' profile on liverpoolfc.com * Suarez Suarez